Spinal sensory nerves that connect the stomach and brain
Spinal Sensory Ganglia and Gut Sensation
This project looks at whether spinal sensory nerves carry signals from the stomach to the brain and influence reward and emotional brain circuits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11173760 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This is preclinical work using awake mice to map how stomach signals reach the brain through spinal sensory ganglia. Researchers will use organ-targeted viral tools, optogenetics and in vivo electrophysiology while applying controlled stomach distension, and then create whole-brain activity maps with light-sheet microscopy. They will trace connections to areas such as the lateral reticular nucleus and cortical regions (parietal, insular, orbitofrontal) and test how these pathways affect reward-related behaviors. The aim is to define anatomy and function of gastric-spinal-brain circuits that could inform new approaches to gut-brain disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant supports laboratory mouse research only and does not enroll human patients.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or to participate in a clinical trial will not receive direct benefit from this project at this time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new peripheral targets to treat emotional, reward-related, or psychosocial disorders linked to gut-brain signaling.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have characterized vagal stomach-to-brain pathways and their behavioral links, but spinal gut-to-brain signaling is much less studied and represents a novel direction.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De Araujo, Ivan E — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: De Araujo, Ivan E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.